Christmas 2011

We had a nice Christmas this year.  Well, technically last year.  Yikes, I am way behind.  I wanted to blog about it anyway.  Here is a throwback post to Christmas 2011.

Layla loved helping with cookies this year.  She was actually a really big help this year but ate her fair share of cookies too.  We made all of our cookies two days before Christmas this year.  Next year, I need to start earlier.  Actually, I.must.start.sewing.wrapping.baking earlier next year!

 Cookies for Santa

Christmas Eve

We wake up at our house on Christmas Eve morning.  Santa comes to our house a day early.  Layla was so excited and pumped for Santa.  Grady actually opened some gifts and ate a lot wrapping paper.  It was a really nice morning.  

Layla was more than happy to assist Grady with gift opening.

Howie loves a gift.  Good thing Santa remembered him.

Christmas Eve Evening

We headed to Ryan's parents' house for the night.  It is always a fun night and this year was no different.  Katie and little Truan traveled back home for the holidays.  Big Truan could not make it home this year due to military obligations.

Grady and Truan (now 3!)

The Jeep Story:  Ryan's parents gave Layla a pink matchbox car (see left picture) for Christmas.  She LOVED it and was very hesitant when Ryan's mom asked her to put it in water to see if it would "grow."  But Layla put the jeep in water and we returned to the kitchen a short while later to see if the matchbox car had grown...it definitely had grown, into a Barbie jeep.  You think Layla was thrilled?  Well, not exactly.  Layla may have gotten a bit upset when the little matchbox jeep was gone.  Yep, she preferred the little, tiny jeep to the big one.  Ryan's dad quickly slipped the little one onto the seat and saved the day :)  Three year olds...you never know what to expect!

Christmas Day

We woke up at my parents' house on Christmas Day.  Layla had to be woken up a little before ten.  She went to bed late the night before and her body likes and needs twelve hours of sleep.  On the flip side, Grady was already down for his morning nap by the time Layla woke up for the day.  Such different sleepers, Layla & Grady.

Grady and Liam, the two early birds on Christmas morning.

Layla and Shea.  Shea had already opened all of his presents (very quickly!!) and was eating breakfast in Layla's new tent while she opened gifts.  Layla opened most of her gifts but saved one for later that night to open.  I think she didn't want it to be all over.  Oh, she is definitely my daughter!

My mom gets the kids matching pajamas each year.  These are our very unsuccessful attempts at a picture with the four kids in their pajamas.  Very funny!

 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!